earthquake

Nearly a million people dropped, took cover and held on during the largest statewide earthquake drill known as the Great Utah ShakeOut on Thursday. At the University of Utah, students and faculty assembled at evacuation points and received earthquake information pamphlets and emergency preparedness items.

The Natural History Museum of Utah is opening a new exhibit that examines how some of the Earth’s most dangerous natural disasters happen.

At one of the several hands-on learning experiences at the new Nature Unleashed exhibit, a group of 4th graders from Rose Creek Elementary School learn about what happens to buildings built on sandy soil during an earthquake. Lisa Thompson, the manager of public programs, says she hopes hands on experiences like this one help people make an emotional connection with the powerful natural events that help shape the Earth.

At 10:15 this morning tens of thousands of people participated in what is known as the great Utah ShakeOut: a statewide earthquake drill. Here on the University of Utah campus the drill started with a text message from the University Campus Alert system directing us to drop, cover, and hold on. Not long after that another text message alert arrived directing us to evacuate the building and head to our designated assembly point in a nearby parking lot.